Clothespin



April 15, 1924. 1,490,427-

A. J. MYART CLOTHESPIQN .Filed Oct. 26 192:5

STAE

ALEXANDER JAMES MYART, OF HASKELL, TEXAS.

CLOTHESPIN.

Application filed October 26, 1923. Serial No. 670,981.

I '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER J. MYART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Haskell, in the State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothespins, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improved clothes pin of novel design and structure intended to provide for the firm and secure clamping of wash pieces to a clothes line without tearing, soiling or otherwise damaging the pieces.

The invention consists essentially in the provision of a spring clamp of simple and inexpensive construction, embodying but few parts and capable of being manufactured at a low cost.

Other objects and advantages of the in vention may be apparent from the following description or the same, considered in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating the device, and wherein- Figure 1 is a side View of the improved clothes pin. showing its manner of use.

Figure 2 is an elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a View in perspective of one of the clamp members, and

Figure 4- is a similar view of the other' clamp member.

In its simplest embodiment the invention is preferably formed of separate lengths of spring wire, two lengths of which are utilized for the malnng of the clamp members of the device, indicated at 10 and 11, re spectively.

As will be seen, clamp member 10 is formed by bending the wire upon itself toprovide longitudinally disposed strands, a and b. The member is so formed as to provide a finger piece 12 at the upper end and a gripping portion 13 at the lower end, that portion of the member lying between the upper and lower ends being arched laterally to provide an offset 14. It will also be noted that gripping end 13 is slightly offset to the vertical plane of the finger piece 12 as'seen to advantage in Figure 1. Member 11 is likewise provided with a similar finger piece, as shown at 12, and a gripping portion 13. Gripping portion 13 is greater in length than gripping portion 13 of member 10 and isofi'set from finger piece 12 by reason of the lateral bend in the member shown at 15. The terminal ends of the wire from which member 11 is formed, are bent to extend laterally of each other and to hook around the side elements of the gripping portion 13, as shown at 16.

Wire elements from which the respective gripping portions of the clamp members are formed, diverge outwardly from a point below thefinger piece and reach their greatest divergence at the extreme lower end of the members, the spacingof the said elements of gripping portion 13 exceeding the spacing of the wire elements of gripping portion 13. .This is to permit the offset 14 of clamp member 12 to pass between the side elements of gripping portion 13, when the members are placed together, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. As the drawings show, member 10 is designed to work between the wire elements of member 11, the parts being so proportioned that when the clamp members are assembled the wire elements of ofiset 1:) will straddle the upper portion of offset 141, the elements of the latter being in close contact at this point, as indicated at 17.

As a means of tensioning the clamp members and a the same time uniting them for pivotal movement necessary for the proper functioning of the device, a helical spring 1.8 is provided. This spring encircles parts 15 and 17 01 the assembled clamp members and is normally in expansion between the latter so as to retain the gripping portions 13 and 13 in gripping relation with respect to each other in using the device, the clamp members are opened by forcing the finger piece 12 and 12' toward each other, compressing the upper part of spring 18 and at the same time separating the gripping portions 13 and 13. The clamp can then be readily engaged over the wash piece previously supported from the clothes line and as the finger pieces 12 and 12 are released the re-action of spring 18 will bring the gripping portions 13 and 13 together so as to clamp the wash piece between the members in a manner that will be readily understood.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the clothes pin is of very simple construction and at the same time enables wash pieces to be firmly clamped to the clothes line so as to prevent their falling off or being blown off the line. It is, moreover, to be understood that the invention is susceptible of many variations and it is not to be considered as limited to the precise details of construction and arrangement set forth above, but rather as being capable of being modified within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A clothes pin comprising a pair of clamp members each of which is provided with an offset portion, the said offset por tion of one member being adapted to straddle the offset portion of the other member, and a helical spring encircling the said offset portions and serving to connect the said members together for pivotal movement.

2. A clothes pin comprising a pair of clamp members each consisting of a single strand of wire bent upon itself to provide a finger piece at its upper end and a gripping portion at its lower end and having the bend intermediate the said finger and the said gripping portion so as to offset one with respect to the other, one of said clamp members being adapted to be engaged with the other member, so that the said ofiset portion of one straddles the offset portion of the other, and a helical spring encircling the said ofi'set portions at the straddling point and serving to connect the said members for pivotal movement with respect to one another, said helical spring normally tending to expand between the said members "for placing the same under tension.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ALEXANDER JAMES M YART. 

